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Monday, 5 March 2018

University of Benin Recalled students and management at beefing again

The management of the University of Benin and the five students who were just recalled in February after two months of suspension are at loggerheads again. The five students union members led by Osamudiamen Ogbidi were
suspended from the university in December 2017 for attempting to
disrupt the University’s 47th Founder’s Day and 43rd Convocation
ceremonies.

However, after the intervention of eminent Nigerians, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Faraday Orumwunse announced the recall of the five studentson Tuesday, February 13.

Meanwhile, barely two weeks after the recall
of the students, the university management has allegedly compelled the
student union president to hand over his office key to the Chief
Security Officer of the university on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Speaking with Pulse
about the new development, the SUG president said the ''CSO mobilized
his men to my office today, overpowered me and change my door key''

''As
I speak with you my office, sec Gen, pro and as can't access their
office. He has been asking for the key since Monday when we went to the
office. And I have maintained a ground that, he should stop calling me.
Upon this, I had to call the NANS President to inform him and he said I
shouldn't give him some time.

''After
their meeting today, he also called me and requested for the same key,
but I still insist I won't give me. Then he has to mobilise his men in
full capacity to change my key''

However,
the Chief Security Office of the university while speaking with Pulse
said the student union members have no right to stay in the office
again.

He said, if their offices are locked, what resulted to that? They
said the CSO locked their offices, can the CSO just wake up one day and
start locking their offices? What positions are they holding in the
school? Are they still SUG members or they have been rusticated,
recalled to complete their academic work?

If
they had been called back to complete their academic work, should they
still be parts of the student unionism? They were rusticated and
recalled to complete their academic pursuit and in the process, and
acting president has been appointed while the speaker remain the speaker
of the union. So why are they occupying the office they no longer have
right to occupy? And if the CSO has the right to collect the keys from
them and for about three to five days they refused to tender the keys
and he decided to lock the office, is there any crime in it?

You will recall that the five students during their suspension rejected the Vice Chancellor's conditional offer for
their recall saying they were not guilty of the offence for which they
were suspended and they can not apologise when they had not committed
any offence.